School Newsletter 3-25-21

CALENDAR UPDATE: We have a FULL day of school next Wednesday, March 31. However, we will be dismissing at 1:30 on Thursday, April 1.

There will be no school or extended day services on Friday, April 2 in observation of Good Friday. Our spring break runs April 5-9 and we return to classes on Monday, April 12.

IF YOU NEED EXTENDED CARE SERVICES APRIL 5-9, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31.

Uniforms: Students may continue to wear gym uniforms or spirit wear through the remainder of the year. Students may resume wearing shorts after spring break, weather permitting. Please keep in mind that students will go outside for recess whenever possible so make sure they wear pants on cool days.

CALENDAR REMINDER: We will dismiss at 1:30 on Wednesday, April 28 and there will be no school on Friday, April 29 for a religious staff development day. Please contact the office by Monday, April 26 if you need extended care services for April 29.

Registration Reminder: The registration fee will increase for everyone to $50 as of April 1. If you need help registering, please contact the office.

Spring Break Travel

The Archdiocese has revised the plans for quarantine after spring break. They are urging families to stay local this year. However, if you do travel, the updated policy is listed below.

Domestic Travel (state-to-state)

Vaccinated individuals:

· No quarantine is necessary if the traveler is fully vaccinated, which is defined as 2 weeks after the second dose of a 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine or 2 weeks after receiving a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

· Proof of vaccination or negative test results will be required to avoid quarantines.

· Individual must not have symptoms and must maintain strict masking and physical distancing. If a fully vaccinated individual does have symptoms, he or she must quarantine and consult with a healthcare expert.

Non-vaccinated individuals: · Domestic travel in states designated Orange on the Chicago Emergency Travel Order map requires:

o 10-day quarantine upon return if there is no negative pre-arrival test or the traveler is not fully vaccinated (see above for definition of fully vaccinated) OR

o Pre-arrival negative test (within 72 hours prior to arrival) with strict masking, physical distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings (separate from school attendance), · For domestic travel in states designated as Yellow on the Chicago Emergency Travel Order map, no quarantine or pre-arrival test are required. However, travelers must maintain strict masking and physical distancing.

International Travel

The Archdiocese continues to follow the CDC guidance. International travelers must follow these guidelines regardless of their vaccination status:

Traveler is to be tested 3-5 days after their return to the U.S. and must quarantine for a 7-day period even if the post-arrival test is negative.

If traveler chooses not to take a test 3-5 days after their return to the U.S., he or she must quarantine for 10 days after arrival.

Close Exposure

Vaccinated individuals who are a close contact to a confirmed COVID-19 case are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:

 Are fully vaccinated (i.e., are ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine).

Have remained asymptomatic since their last contact with the infected person; and

Are not inpatients or residents in a health care setting.

Fully vaccinated individuals who are not required to quarantine should monitor their health for 14 days after their last contact with the infected person. If they experience symptoms, they must self-isolate pending clinical evaluation and COVID-19 testing. Vaccinated persons must also continue to adhere to all recommended protective measures, including, but not limited to, wearing a mask (and utilizing job-specific PPE), maintaining physical distance, practicing hand hygiene, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

Non-vaccinated individuals must quarantine for 14-days following close contact to a confirmed COVID-19 case.

*If you are planning to travel to an "orange" state over spring break, please let the office know by April 1. You can email Mrs. Markham at [email protected].

*If you plan to have your child(ren) get COVID testing instead of quarantining after you travel, please get tested upon return to Illinois, NOT in the state that you are visiting.

*We must have paper copies of test results for all children in a family returning to school. Paper copies must accompany the child(ren) on the first day we return from break, April 12. Students may not attend school without a negative test on file. Those may be sent to the office.

SAVE THE DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 21

St. Gerald School is working on hosting a Father Malcolm Memory Walk. Father Malcolm was a beloved member of the St. Gerald community and he loved walking places with the students – downtown Chicago, Premo’s, and other places. With the pandemic, we have not really had the opportunity to celebrate his legacy. Finally, this spring we will host one of his favorite pastimes – walking with the kids. More information will follow spring break, as well as opportunities for families to support us in this fundraiser.

St. Gerald Summer Camps

St. Gerald School does plan to operate summer camps this year. Guidelines are being developed to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. More information will follow spring break

New! Sign up for Amazon Smile Today!

Amazon Smile is an easy way to support St. Gerald every time you shop with Amazon!  Amazon will donate a portion of the price of eligible purchases to St. Gerald – no additional fees or costs to you.

Signing up is easy!  Simply go to smile.amazon.com and select St. Gerald Parish & School in Oak Lawn.  You will need to turn on Amazon Smile on both the mobile app and website. 

Click here for step-by-step details on how to sign up: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/how-to-sign-up-for-amazonsmile 

Spread the word to your friends and family! Thank you for your continued support!

Queen of Hearts

Jackpot is $4270 

Next Drawing is Sunday March 28

Out of play are cards 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 32 and 42.

Ticket Cost:

- $1 - 1 Ticket

- $5 - 6 Tickets

- $20 - 30 Tickets
 

WE WILL BE SELLING TICKETS OUTSIDE, IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, AFTER ALL THE SUNDAY MASSES.  

OR....

Place an envelope with your Name, Phone Number and Guess(es) in the drop boxes located in both vestibules of the church, the Homestead Barr or the Parish or School Office. You can also play remotely on Give Central by clicking on this link: https://www.givecentral.org/location/499/event/27212

 or contact the development office at [email protected] for more information.

Thank you for playing!

SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS!

Would you like to be part of the team that helps advise the school on issues including curriculum, infrastructure, fundraising, marketing, safety and much more? The School Advisory Board is looking for new members! Please visit the website below or email [email protected] with any questions.

https://school.stgerald.com/school-advisory-board

Sports Opportunity

With many schools not being able to offer athletics we have worked hard to develop a program that will allow students to be active and work on building their social skills in a fun and safe environment.

https://chicagosoccerfoundation.leagueapps.com/leagues/soccer/2161954-spring-2021---cpl-south-at-st.-rita-hs

Dates: 

Sundays 

April 18th - June 6th

Sessions will be one hour between 12:00 pm - 3:00pm 

Location:

St. Rita High School

7740 S Western Ave. Chicago